Holy Spirit Series 16

Holy Spirit Symbolism

The Holy Spirit is represented throughout the Bible using a variety of symbols. The purpose of a symbol is to provide specific information without the use of words. It is also used to signify the ethos of that which it represents. The symbols are discerned only by those to whom its significance is revealed while to other it is just a depiction. It is this cryptic nature of symbols that makes it the ideal medium to communicate information without compromising its content. Parables are by nature symbolic and thus was used by the Lord during His teachings so that the common people did not understand Mt 13:10-16. In this session we will be dealing with the different symbols that have been used to represent the Holy Spirit and the meaning of each of them. There is no particular order of representation however, we will see that each representation was purposeful.

1.      Dove: The symbol of the Dove is seen during the Baptism of Christ Mt 3:16/Mk 1:10/Lk 3:22. This was the sign given by God to John the Baptist to identify the Messiah Jn1:32-34. The Dove is not the exclusive symbol of the Holy Spirit, it has been also used to signify the Church (Songs 5:2) and Mourners (Is 38:14). However, it’s best known for its representation of the Holy Spirit. Why did God give the dove as a symbol to John the Baptist? The dove symbolism was already well known throughout the ancient world even before the time of Christ. In ancient Sumeria it was the symbol of the goddess Inanna, in Babylon it was Ishtar, in Greece it was Astarte and Juno in Rome. Typically these goddesses symbolised war, sex and fertility. They personified the worship of the queen of heaven, who was originally Semiramis, the wife of Nimrod, King of Babylon. Form what I have gathered one of the first reasons for God to give this symbol was to break the worship of the pagan goddesses by nullifying the gender representation by the dove. God specifically told John the Baptist that the Holy Spirit will descend upon the Messiah and when it did happen He came in the form of a Dove! This point lines up with what we studied about the character of the Holy Spirit in the previous session, where we looked into the feminine characteristics of the Holy Spirit. The traditional rabbinical teachings suggests that the hovering of the Spirit of God over the waters in Gen 1:2 is like the brooding of the dove. One thing I would like to point out is that this symbol was only known to John the Baptist although many people would have seen it during Christ’s baptism. Only John was privy to its significance. To everyone else it would be one of two meanings:

1. A dove came and sat on someone getting baptized.

2. If they took John seriously the dove would become a symbol of the gods choosing Jesus for some great purpose and so they would follow Him.

I am inclined to consider the latter to be part of God’s plan since the same scenario is seen in the life of Jonah, who was vomited out by the great fish. Consider this that the Ninevites worshipped the fish god ‘dagon’. It would only be natural for such a people to listen carefully to what Jonah had to say. God will use anything to get man to listen to Him.

Just a tit bit

The Dove in the Bible is first seen when Noah sent it out to check if the waters had abated. We today all know that the olive bearing dove is a symbol of peace and how ironic is it that the meaning of Noah is rest, peace, and comfort. Noah was the actual symbol of peace to those to whom it was prophesied that the wrath of God was coming and so thus they named him. The dove on the other hand was an instrument by which this peace was confirmed. According to Jewish teachings the dove was used because of its nature. A nature that always propelled it to return home no matter how far away it was from it. The Bible states that the Ark rested upon Mt. Ararat and typically if the waters were to recede the mountain top would be the first to be dry.  So, logically what Noah was trying to see was if the dove’s original home was dry and habitable.  However, the dove can be a symbol of peace through it being the used as a sacrificial animal for the sin and burnt offering giving man temporary peace with God Lev 1:14/ 14:22. Mary offered doves once her days of purification were complete in Lk 2:24.

              Coming back to the dove being a symbol of the Holy Spirit, the one area that it would really signify the Holy Spirit is in its mannerisms. It is monogamous in its choice of a partner. The Holy Spirit once given to us will never be taken away (possibly) unless we forsake Christ through apostasy and blasphemy. Another one of its characters is its gentleness, a character that Christ exhorts His followers to have Mt 10:16. As mentioned earlier the dove always returns to its home no matter how far the separation. One way or the other it will always find its way home, a trait that was used by the military to send forth and receive messages. The Holy Spirit will also one day return home to the Heavenly Father after accomplishing the purpose for which He was sent. This return will only take place after the word of God has been accomplished, because the Holy Spirit and the Word always working in tandem as we have already discussed because they work together to fulfil the purpose of God before returning Is 55:11. An imagery of this very verse is the cry of Christ upon the cross when He said “it is finished” and “into Your hands I commit My Spirit”.

We will continue with the symbolism in our next session. Till then God Bless

The Holy Spirit Series 15

The Personality of the Holy Spirit

To begin this topic I must emphasize one point that we must not forget and that is to remember that the presence of the Holy Spirit at a personal level is a prophecy and promise being fulfilled. The 1st Prophecy was made by God in Joel 2:28-3:1, since the prophet Joel served during 835-796 B.C. Isaiah would be the second prophet to prophecy regarding the Holy Spirit in Is 32:14-18 and 44:3-5; while Ezekiel would the 3rd to prophecy regarding Him in Ezk 36:26, 37:13-14 and 39:28-29. These prophecies became a promise to the children of Israel and was revealed to be so by Luke in Acts 2:33. What this means is that He is literally the representation of God, the Lord Jesus and Himself all at the same time. He would therefore, always exalt the Father and Christ in all His works. When we read portions in the Bible where the Holy Spirit expresses Himself, we must not forget that He would be displaying the characteristics of the Father and Christ as well. However, there are some exclusive attributes that are solely His and these are what I would like to dwell upon.

A.   He is grieved: The Bible admonishes us not to grieve the Holy Spirit in Eph 4:30. How do we grieve Him? If we read the verse above and those following we can see that the Holy Spirit is grieved when the spirit of our mind is not renewed (Eph 4:23-24), causing us to be unchanged in our attitudes, behaviours and actions. This will happen when we resist Him and His work in our lives. Stephen the Martyr accused his accusers of resisting the Holy Spirit and persecuting and killing those sent by God with His message. When the Light comes it  reveals what the darkness hides in each of us. When this happens the correct response must be to acknowledge our sins and confess them. However, not everyone does so as the Bible states

 “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” Jn 3: 19-21 

The resistance comes when we love sin more than God. This grieving process of the Holy Spirit does end. It ends with the Holy Spirit being quenched 1 Thes 5:19. Why does it say quenched? This is because the Holy Spirit arrival was first signified by tongues of fire which rested on the faithful in the upper room in Acts 2. I will talk more about this Fire later. As believers we are all being moulded into the image of Christ and the process continues till Jesus returns. However, as we transform our ministry is also revealed. Unless this transformation progresses; the lives that we are to bless may be lost or given to others to bless (like what was told to Esther). We may end up as paupers and standing against the Will of God, even after receiving the Holy Spirit, Shocking as it may seem, this warning was given to the Church and not to the world. 

B.    Blasphemy: This is the most serious sin as warned by Christ (Mat 12:31–32), one that has no forgiveness. Why is this so and why did Christ say even if people blaspheme Him they will be forgiven but not the Holy Spirit? The very fact that Jesus left His glory and took up human form is the reason for this. When we talk about Jesus we cannot exclude His humanity which made Him of a lower standing. However, He is later glorified by God (through His Death and Resurrection) and exalted (through His Ascension) to His current state and position. This current state and position is at the right hand of the Father in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come Eph 1:21. I believe at the time that Jesus spoke this verse He implied that He being in human form would be undergoing many things, as it was ordained by God however, the Holy Spirit being in His original form with God was not to be blasphemed  in any manner as is God the Father. We must remember that Jesus was crucified under the pretext of blasphemy against God! The punishment for Blasphemy was death Lev 24:13-16

         Blasphemy comes from the Greek word blasphemia which means to “speaking ill, impious speech, slander.” In today’s context it is to speak with irreverence of that which is considered Holy. Basically at its core it means to slander with a false accusation, much like what the scribes accused Jesus of casting out demons using demons. They implied that the power Jesus used was demonic! Whenever we falsely accuse God we are in danger of blasphemy. God told Job to pray for his three friends because they had spoken wrong regarding Him and their forgiveness would be upon Job’s prayer Job 42:7-9. The Holy Spirit is here to be all that we need Him to be in our lives to help and mould us into Christlikeness. He will never leave us nor forsake us, however we can circumvent His work in our lives by disobedience.  

C.   He can be Insulted: We are insulted when the good we do or the image we have is questioned or abused. Likewise people can insult the Holy Spirit when they turn away from Christ and embrace false doctrines and religions, thereby becoming an apostate. The Bible says this action of sinning wilfully by trampling the blood of Christ underfoot insults the Spirit of Grace Heb 10:29. I have always wondered who in their right mind would reject Christ after having experienced God and His goodness. The answer that I have so far received is:

“Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For God the Father has placed His seal of approval on Him.” Jn 6:26-27

The people flocked to Christ but Jesus openly admonished their misplaced priorities. Many come to Christ to get what they want. It could be for healing, deliverance, financial breakthroughs, solution to family problems so on and so forth. When they do receive it, their love and attention begins to wane. I have seen this happen first hand over the years. Some even leave the faith because they do not get what they wanted in the way they liked and when they like. God does not conform to our whims and fancies although He does entertain it at times but we must not forget that He is God. The Holy Spirit is to dwell in all those who accept Jesus. How much of our nonsense does He put up with on a daily basis ranging from our faithlessness, to all our filthy habits and traits? He continues His persistent presence in our lives regardless of how we live and imagine the insult when one departs from the faith. It is like slapping God in the face or spitting upon it, like the Roman soldiers only they did not receive anything from God. We must not take the Holy Spirit for granted. There will always be that spiritual struggle in our lives and yes we do sin wilfully on many things knowing that it is wrong to do so. Many men of God have fallen into adultery, and all sorts of sins but are they beyond forgiveness. No! not unless they have completely turned away from Him. Therefore ,we must value His grace and mercy and always seek His face while He is near us. Never ever turn away from God because of your guilt on the contrary go boldly before Him accepting your sin Heb 4:15-16. Heaven rejoices when we are saved now imagine the sadness when one turns away. It is saddening to even think about it.

D.   He expresses His Will: Yes the Holy Spirit expresses His Will though He does the Will of God the Father. The expression of His Will is always in line with the Will of God the Father. This expression is seen in 1 Cor 12:11, where the gifts are distributed to each believer as per the will of the Holy Spirit. This would seem strange but let’s consider the fact that since the Holy Spirit dwells in us He is the most knowledgeable person regarding our individuality and how uniquely God has made us. He with this knowledge I believe grants the gifts that are best expressed through us based on our call and what God has ordained for us to do. As per the verse I believe God has granted Him freedom to grant gifts as He sees fit.

We will next be looking at the person of the Holy Spirit as signified by different symbols in the Bible. This is wonderful portion of this study and I am looking forward to sharing it with you. Till next time. God bless.

The Holy Spirit Series 14

We have come to a new topic and this one is not an easy one. Some of the concepts I will be touching on is going to be hard to understand but it must be dealt with since the evil one is using our ignorance to deceive us and divert our faith away.

The Character of the Holy Spirit:

So much can be said about the character of the Holy Spirit but it will never be complete since we do not know everything about Him yet. What we will be dealing with is the personal character of the Holy Spirit as revealed through scripture which distinguishes Him from within the Godhead. We spoke about the Trinitarian doctrine a few months ago. I would like to state once and for all that the Trinity does not mean three different individuals unlike what is found in paganism. YHWH/ Yahweh is the name of the Godhead which consists of three natures not three individuals. Traditional Jews do not use this name rather they call Him ‘HaShem’ or ‘Adonai’. The most opposing doctrine out there; that has been used to malign the Triune Godhead is the threefold gods of paganism, which actually consists of three individual gods, whose nature and character are vastly different and do not work together unlike Yahweh God. In India it is Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva being the primary trinity, however the most worshipped is Shiva, Parvathi and Ganesh. In Egypt it is Osiris, Isis and Horus. In Babylon it is Baal, Ashtoreth, and Tammuz and in Greece Zeus, Athena and Apollo and the list goes on. The number of tri-unified gods is unbelievable and if anyone wants to look into this further a must read is The Two Babylons by Rev. Alexander Hyslop, who has revealed the truth regarding this tri-unified pagan godhead that opposes the one true God. Biblical doctrine speaks of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit but the pagan godhead speaks in terms of mother, son and father! And in some cases an all-male trinity.

                            I am aware that the some movements have won a lot of points with people using this pagan godhead example to discredit the triune nature of God. I say this because I was personally canvased using the same ploy.  I was able to stand up to the challenge because of what the Lord had taught me and this is the very same reason I am moved to teach you today.  God says that, “My people are destroyed because of the lack of knowledge...” Hosea 4:6. This is the sad state of general Christendom, where Biblical knowledge is very rarely pursued and those that do are far and few.

                           So, what is the basic character of the Holy Spirit? This is question is also very difficult to answer since no one can really reveal Him except God. However, we do have some of the character attributes and traits mentioned to piece together an outline of the personality of the Holy Spirit. One of the first traits mentioned is in the second verse in the Bible.

“…And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Gen 1:2

The Hebrew word for moved here is rachaph, which means to hover. The root of this word is `to brood. ` This word provides the imagery of a hen brooding over her eggs. This imagery is mentioned by Jesus when talking about how God has always longed to gather Jerusalem to Himself in Mt 23:37. This statement therefore gives credence to the interpretation of Gen 1:2. As mentioned in our study of the 7 offices of the Spirit we came across the Spirit of Wisdom. There is a word play here because the Hebrew word for wisdom in Is 11:2 is `chokmah` and in Greek describing the Spirit of Wisdom is `sophia`, both words are in the feminine gender! Technically I would have just overlooked the feminine tense used to describe this office of the Spirit had it not been for a statement made by Jesus when He said, “…But wisdom is justified by Her children.” In Mt 11:19. Jesus is also referring to wisdom in the feminine tense. Could it be true that the Holy Spirit is feminine? I asked the Lord this question many years ago and this is what He taught me.

Is the Holy Spirit male or female? When we talk about the trinity we always refer to it as God the Father (male), God the Son (male) and God the Spirit (male). But is this interpretation accurate? The fact is it is not. With the rise of feminism many challenges have been put forward including the accusation that the Bible is gender biased because of the importance given to the men throughout scripture. This too God taught me to be wrong. This is where the wisdom of man tries to comprehend the wisdom of God and in doing so falls far too short to actually be of any significance.

We commonly think that when God made man in His image, He made Adam as a male because God is a male and then He made Eve the female out of Adam`s rib. This is a wrong assumption. Was Adam a male in the day he was made? Let`s read Gen 1:27 carefully:

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.”

At first God refers to him in a singular form then denotes to him as them (plural). Normally anyone reading it would be reading it keeping the male and female form in mind; without considering for a moment that when Adam was initially made the differentiation of male and female had not yet been recognised or assigned. So, if Adam was not assigned a gender what was he? The answer is he was Adam, in the image of God, without a defined gender. Meaning that there was no gender when Adam was made; why because God does not have a gender either. The very reason gender exists is for the sole purpose of procreation; other than that it truly serves no purpose.

However, where did the male and female definition arise? It arose the day God made Eve. When we talk about God making Eve from Adam`s rib we only consider the physical aspect. But, I tell you the rib was only the physical portion. How about the soul and spirit? Did God breathe into Eve as well? The answer has to be No! If He had, then the two can never become one. The very concept of two become one is because God Himself exists in this multiple singularity. The male and female attributes arose when Eve was taken out of Adam. The personalities were divided up and that is why we have to equal halves, which unite as one. This answers the age old question why men and women are so different. Even the Angels are genderless and thus aren`t given in marriage, since procreation has no place in Heaven, as evidenced by Jesus’ statement in Mt 22:30. Therefore there is no gender in Heaven and so no such differentiation exists within the Godhead either.

So, where did this male female attributes arise from? The answer is God Himself, since He is the One who cleaved Adam and formed Eve and assigned the character traits to distinguish between the two apart from the obvious physical differences. We need to keep in mind that everything we know as feminine has its origin from God, therefore it must exist within Him before it got assigned in creation. When asked why women are not given prominence in the Bible. I always refer to the day Adam was made in God’s Image. Since Adam was one and then cleaved into two, God still looks at it as one. That is why we have the verse “the two shall become one flesh” so if the two is one then there actually is only one to begin with. Thus whenever God counts a man He has already included the woman in that count. Please see the formula below:

Adam ^(1/2) + Eve ^(1/2) = 1

Without his helpmate man is incomplete in a count. Man is only one half while the woman is the other half. So, coming back to whether the Holy Spirit is male or female…if there is no gender in heaven then there is no gender differentiation with the Godhead however, let’s, now consider the male and female as an attribute or character rather than as an individual. We can now say that the Holy Spirit displays these feminine traits due to His function within the Godhead. We need to keep in mind that everything we know as feminine has its origin from God, therefore it must exist within Him before it got assigned in creation and that these traits are differentiated by function and not by gender.

Another point regarding this feminine trait is that everyone who accepts Jesus as their personal Saviour will be Born Again by the Holy Spirit of God into the Kingdom of God, having God as their Father and Jesus as their Husband, since we are part of the Church which is the Bride of Christ. So everyone whether male of female is going to marry Christ!

These topics are indeed really intense and can prove to be very confusing to a lot of people but that is a given since we are studying about the Holy Spirit, who has no limits or boundaries and transcends time and space. I sincerely hope that I have been able to adequately explain this concept as clearly as possible. We will continue to look into His person and see what more we can learn about Him. So stay tuned.  

Holy Spirit Series 13

In previous session we completed the study of the functions of the Holy Spirit in the individual life of the believer. However, there are a few points that I have left out purposely such as the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit; both of which operate in the individual life of a child of God. We will definitely look into these when we will deal with them under the topic of the Anointing.

Today we will begin to study the Holy Spirit in a different capacity:

             The function of the Holy Spirit in the Church

J. To bring unity:

“Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment on the head of Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended on the mountains of Zion: For there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” Ps 133:1-3

This is the key verse for us to study regarding the unity brought by the Spirit within the Church. As most of us know the ointment upon Aaron’s head is akin to the Holy Spirit anointing. As per scripture any person chosen to assume an office must be anointed to do so. David was anointed by the Prophet Samuel to be King. Every Levite was anointed prior to joining the ranks to serve God. It was the initiation process to the service for the Lord. The anointing is based on the God’s choice and not that of men. We all know how hard it is for men to dwell and work in unity; egos and complexes tend to cause a lot of friction. Love is the key lubricant to ease the heat produced. One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit produced is Love. Truly only God can bring about this emotion in men, that has no agendas of its own. Bind us together with chords of Love that cannot be broken. Amen.

Paul exhorts the Roman church to pursue everything that aid in peace in order to build one another in Rom 14:19. 1Pt 3:11 asks us to seek peace and pursue it, meaning that we must never give up and seek the betterment of our brother/ sister. It is a continuous process because each instance is a challenge in itself which the Holy Spirit can help us overcome. To pursue peace is to seek it as the end result in every situation. Peace again is another fruit of the Spirit. I believe that from the day be are born again there begins a process in each of our lives, where the Holy Spirit begins His work of moulding us into the image of Christ. Thereby we begin to seek the things that are in the will of God. We become a part of His great work according to the level of our submission and commitment to His cause. When Gideon set out to defeat the Midianites many people joined him but finally only 300 were chosen by God because only they possessed the right attitude and poise. In the end the numbers do not matter but the quality does and our role in this depends on our love for God and His people. The Holy Spirit is there for us but are we there in readiness?

Another way in which the Holy Spirit is bringing about unity is by teaching men and women the pure doctrines that held the 1^st Century believers together. The restoration of the five- fold ministries is one of the ways in which God will bring us together as mentioned in Eph 4:11-13. Paul speaks of endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace in Eph 4:3 as part of our walk, which should be worthy of the calling of God and the Five-Fold ministry exists to accomplish this very task within the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit gives the children of God the necessary gifts to bolster their abilities and function in certain capacities. This particular ministry is part of God's restorative  ministry since it was lost shortly after all the Apostles died. However, there are been a resurgence of this work in the past 70 yrs. or so.

K. To Glorify Jesus

How does the Holy Spirit glorify Christ? He glorifies Christ by talking what belongs to Christ and revealing it to His disciples Jn 16:14. This ministry of the Holy Spirit is our life blood bringing nourishment for our spirit. It is this function that gives us the Rhema word, prophetic utterances, etc. It is the provision that grants us all spiritual blessings, gifts and fruits. The Lord is glorified in our lives thorough these and we in turn use them for the glory of God. This function is recipient specific and basically works within the believer however each one receives for the benefit of the whole body (Church) 1Cor 12:7. Whatever we receive from God is actually His investment in us. We are required to be accountable for it just as the parable of the 10 minas (Lk 19:11-27) and 10 talents (Mat 25:14-30) dictates. The Holy Spirit will help us to minister these gifts effectively as we begin to use them in faith Rom 12:6-8. When we operate in the gift of teaching/prophecy etc. with faith the Holy Spirit will give us the words we need to speak to being about spiritual edification because only the Spirit can edify the spirit of man.

L. Gives Birth

The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts us of our sins and thus when we confess our sins He births us into God’s Heavenly Kingdom.

“Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit.” Jn 3:6

The word “Church” is transliterated from the Greek word Ekklēsía, is a composite of the words ek, "out from and to" kaléō, "to call". The English word "Church" comes from the Greek word Kyriakos, "belonging to the Lord" This would therefore mean that the Church translates to mean “those who have been called out from the world and belong to God.” The Bible tells us that God has called us (2 Timothy 1:9/ Isaiah 43:1) but have you considered how we are translated to His Kingdom?

“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son…” Colossians 1:13

“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he performed in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places…” Eph 1:18-20

We all know that God raised Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. Now as per Eph 1:18-20, this same power was worked in us to raise us from the spiritual deadness to Life; thus translating us from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Jesus. This is the way in which we are born of the Spirit. Once born of the Spirit we are spiritual beings encased within this earthly flesh. This is what Paul the Apostle meant by putting off this tent in 2Pt 1:14. God has begotten millions of children through the Holy Spirit who will one day be revealed. Each one of us spirit born children have the mandate to speak of Jesus and His eternal work, which is the gospel (the seed of God). This seed has the potential for growth depending upon the heart (ground) it is sown into (the parable of the sower Mt 13:3–9). Those called by God are convicted by the Holy Spirit, it is in these hearts the word and the Spirit bring about new birth. What a wonderful work this is. We have so much learn and impart, if only we knew who we are and what is expected of us.

The Holy Spirit Series 12

Today we explore the first name that the Lord Jesus used to signify the Holy Spirit in Jn 16:7. The word used here is the Helper or Advocate. This title has multiple functions in the life of a believer so I will try to cover as much as the Lord has taught me. God bless you as you read on.

I.    To Help/Advocate:

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” Jn 16:17

This is the most prime function of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We already saw that His presence signifies the presence of the Lord making His promise to never leave us as orphans true. The word for Helper in Greek here is ‘Paraklēton’ which has a three-fold meaning:

       I. One who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant; an advocate

    II.  Universally, one who pleads another's cause with one, an intercessor

  III.  In the widest sense, a helper, succourer, aider, assistant

Let’s examine each of these meanings for a deeper understanding of what these words actually talk about the Holy Spirit.

             i)The first speaks of the Holy Spirit being our Advocate to plead our cause before the Judge. As a child of God we are being accused on a daily basis in front of God. The accuser being none other than satan himself Rev 12:10. This is a fact…satan cannot lie before God. He will always tell the truth. The truth here is that every one of his accusations are based on the sins we commit. Basically he is asking God to judge us without any leeway. Why does he do this? He does this because he is going to be eternally condemned without any chance of redemption; and this provokes him to take as many of us along with him as possible. The Bible clearly shows us that our Advocate during these times is Jesus 1 John 2:1-2. Now this is in Heaven; what about here on earth. How does the Holy Spirit advocate on our behalf? It is the Holy Spirit who makes know to us our sins, and it is He who bring us to repentance, it He who teaches us and preserves us in this world. So, basically the Holy Spirit executes the interests of God in us through Christ. What does this mean? From a legal point of view He is Heavens advocate (voice of authority) to champion God’s cause or plans in us to bring us to the full measure and stature of Christ. An illustration of this ministry is that of Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, who was sent to find a wife for Isaac. He had to find her then get her to follow him to Abraham’s house to be Isaac’s wife. During which time Rebecca was being prepared to be Isaac’s bride. The story of Esther, similarly undergoing various preparations to meet the King, under the guidance of Hegai the Eunuch, is also a similar example. Another scripture portion that comes to mind is how Ezra prepared the people of Israel, who had drifted away, to return to God after the exile. This grooming process of preparing us to the standard of Christ likeness is what the Holy Spirit advocates on behalf of the Lord Jesus, thus making Him our Advocate, as He preps us to meet our King. Amen.

              ii) Now we shall look at the second meaning of how He is an intercessor. We saw a bit of this portion earlier when we discussed how the Holy Spirit prays on our behalf when we do not know how or what to pray. He knows us best and so is always in a better position to petition God on our behalf. The greatest assurance that anyone can have is the assurance of being the child of God and we all know that this is only possible to them that have been born again of the Spirit.

“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” Romans 8:16

On reading this verse contextually we see that the Holy Spirit along with our spirit testifies that we are the children of God, thereby revealing our new born spiritual nature enabling us by spiritual birth to call God “Abba, Father.” Being aware of our born again spirit we seek to be led by the Holy Spirit. Thus we have the verse, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Rom 8:13. This Spirit of Advocacy I believe is mentioned as ‘The Spirit of Adoption’ in Rom 8:15. This adoption is mentioned as being grafted into the family of God in Rom 11. Once a child is adopted into a household the child is trained in the ways, beliefs and traditions of the adoptive parents. Likewise once born again we undergo the same process where we are taught the ways of God, and are led by His Spirit in the paths determined by God fulfilling His pre-determined good works thereby accomplishing the very purpose of our birth in this world Eph 2:10. If this witness or advocacy of the Holy Spirit did not exist we would be like men out at sea without a map or charts to plot the course in this life.   

          iii)The third and final meaning speaks of the Holy Spirit as our Helper. 
        
         Why do we need His help? The people of this world seem to do just fine without Him so why do we need Him? One of the differences between a child of God and a person of the world is that the former depends upon the Father to provide for them and they know that the words of Eternal Life are with Him Jn 6:68, without which they would not know how to live a godly life; that is wholly acceptable to God. They depend of Him to guide them through all that life brings them. It is here that we need a Helper to help us live according to our election and calling; to fulfil the purposes of Him. The Holy Spirit is not distant from us but rather lives within us. The following verse gives us a visual image of how He helps us:

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Mt 11:29

Another one of Jesus’ profound statements encourages us to learn from Him. How can we learn from Him is He is not here with us? We learn by seeing, hearing or reading tangible things. Since He was to ascend into Heaven this statement would only be possible if the Holy Spirit was to be present in us to fulfil all that Christ promised He would do. A technique used to break/train a new ox is to yoke it with a seasoned one. The new ox would learn from the old without much effort because the old one would guide it in all its daily functions. If this form of teaching and learning is applied to the verse then it would make more sense. We get yoked with Christ and He will teach us the way we ought to go and function. Now with the presence of the Holy Spirit this yoking would literally be possible and we can learn from Christ because the Holy Spirit presence is the presence of Christ in us. We would be co-workers with Christ and not as slaves under a hard taskmaster. This companionship enables us to fulfill His purpose of evangelism where we plant or water and God gives the growth 1 Cor 3:5-9. In this partnership we are held up when we falter. We never go through life without His counsel, provision, and protection. This is why we are called His ambassadors 2 Cor 5:20. Just as an ambassador’s needs are met by the country he represents our needs are also met by God, when we represent Him in this world. Amen.

Another point I would like to explore regarding the Holy Spirit being our Helper is by looking at it as our protector. Does the Holy Spirit protect us? Although there is not direct verse to indicate this, there are however many verses that imply it. Let’s take a look a couple of them.

A Tester of spirits: The Bible in 1 John 4:1 informs us to test every spirit. A spirit is a non tangible entity that cannot be observed or tested using regular techniques so in a worldly sense it is impossible to test a spirit since the laws of testing require the subject and result to be quantifiable at the least, and it also requires that we get the same results each time the testing procedure is followed. This is where the Holy Spirit enables us to recognize the spirit at work. The wild man of the Gadarene would have been called a mad man by the people while Jesus revealed the true nature of his madness. The Bible records how the evil spirits began to manifest as Peter walked by them. This would be the physical verification of the spirit, where, as a child of God we carry His presence and as the Bible declares we are the light of the world Mt 5:14 and our presence itself can expose the evil spirits at work Eph 5:13. It is this same light that enrages (Jn 3:20) those under the influence of satan to attack the believer.

The Holy Spirit also protects us from false doctrines and heretical teachings. This mode of protection is dependent on our ability to hear His voice. My personal experience with this inner voice is that it would alert me to verses that would counter the teaching and also provide me the reason why it is wrong. For this to function properly we need to study the bible because the error can only be revealed if the counter verse is within us.

A Revealer of the signs of the times: Jesus was very vocal about the times that were ahead of the Church and especially of that right before His coming. Many of the Old Testament prophets and the apostles also voiced their revelations of what is to come. The average believer is oblivious of these things because he/she isn’t looking and so is unprepared to deal with what happen. The 10 virgins (Mt 25: 1-13) are basically a parable of those who were prepared and those who weren’t. There are so many references to these times, some of which are direct while many are hidden. The hidden ones are the most difficult to understand, not to mention that even the direct ones are not so direct as well. The Holy Spirit is the only One who can teach us what to look for and how to interpret things as and when they happen. We have seen many so called Doomsday prophets, proclaimed men of God, predict the end of the world only to find that they were terribly mistaken; while others have demonstrated great miracles and signs through their flamboyant ministries, deceiving thousands  even the hundreds of thousands into believing lies. The end result is people falling away from the faith (Mt 24:10/1Tim 4:1) and also of others mocking the word of God because of them. It is high time that we believers woke up to realize that the eye is not to be believed nor the ear of what it hears. It’s time to study His word and keenly rely on His Spirit to guide us into all righteousness; seeking God and pursuing holiness without which we men set adrift in the vast ocean of confusion.  

For now I will only deal with these two points. We will study this is greater detail when we come to Spiritual Warfare. I hope to continue the study with a look at the Holy Spirit function within the Church as a body, till then God Bless

Holy Spirit Series 11

G: To Teach the word of God:

The division in Christendom today is because of the fallacies taught by people within the church. Honestly! If God was the source of the teaching we would not be having any denominations in terms of doctrine. According to the bible there is only one body (church), one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one God the Father who is above all Eph 4:4-6. Why then we have so many versions of these? The answer is simple; the author of these teaching is not the Holy Spirit. The Bible clearly shows God’s intent for His flock in the following verses:

1.  In Eph 4:11-13, where Paul says that the five-fold ministries were inducted into the church hierarchy to train people to minister and edify the church until there is oneness of the faith and the knowledge of God to the measure and stature of the fullness of Christ.

2.    Jn 17: 20-21 is the verse where Jesus prays that the disciple and the future believers will be one with the Godhead just as He and the Father are One.

3.    Jn 15:1-5, again talks about the unity within the church by being attached to the True Vine, who is Christ. Thereby, being able to be fruitful unto God

Because God speaks of unity in Him, I know that something much more sinister is at work in the body of Christ, seeing the prevailing trends, to derail the purpose of God for His Church and through it. Jesus forewarned the rise of ‘wolves’ from within the Church Mt 7:15 and also in His parable of the wheat and tares Mt 13:24-25. This satanic ploy has become somewhat successful in that the world stands declaring that the church is forcing itself upon people with its own motives propagated behind a veil of hypocrisy. The Tares have done their job of choking the witness of the Church, while the wolves have devoured the young and the weak in faith. Whatever the strategy used the name of the Lord is being profaned.

                        Jesus said that the world will know that we are His disciples by our love Jn 13:35. From a worldly perspective it is clear that this commandment by the Lord to love has sadly not been followed. Dear brothers and sisters all is not lost. We can still redeem the time. We have been taken away by the flamboyance of today’s ministers and their ministries. We have let our guard down and not sought to be taught by the Holy Spirit. Our laziness has overtaken us Pro 24:34. Being a student of the Holy Spirit requires dedication, discipline, and diligence. Nothing can replace the time you spend reading and studying the word of God personally. However, no one can be taught by the Holy Spirit unless they be born again and receive the power (anointing) from above. Wrong doctrine arises from wrongful interpretations of the word, which happens when our dependency is on our intellect rather than wisdom from above. 1Jn 2:19-29 is key to understanding that the anointing will teach you and also expose the works of the evil one to you. It will equip you to stay away from heretical teachings that keep creeping into the church through various alleyways. Jesus clearly said that the Holy Spirit would teach us all things Jn 14:26. One advice that I will give regarding scriptural interpretation is that any interpretation must agree with all of scripture, both the Old and the New Testament. It must also agree with the nature of God. If the understanding is deviant in any of these, then it is in error and therefore must be discarded. The learning and teaching go hand in hand. Without learning one cannot teach as it is said a teacher is first of all a good student.                           

The Church today is like Jerusalem without its walls during the time of Nehemiah and it’s my prayer that people would stand up and build the wall. Sound doctrine must prevail and may those anointed by God take up their positions within the body and teach all without any adulteration, till we are united in the faith, and the knowledge of God to the full measure and stature of Christ. Amen

H. Bring to remembrance:

This is the most helpful function of the Holy Spirit to me personally whenever I have faced challenges and questions in life; the words would suddenly pop up. Its arrival can be likened to the flash news we see announced on the news channels. It’s not just that the verse comes to mind; the meaning and the application of it in relation to the situation is also made known. What a great blessing it is to receive His word in times of need, it is like cool water to a thirsty soul. The Holy Spirit brings the words of Jesus into remembrance when He teaches us the word Jn 14:26. The key to remembrance is to hear and read the word of God regularly. We can only remember something that we have learnt or are familiar with. The word of God does not generally pop up to those who have not read it. There is however exceptions where God reveals Himself to those who have never known Him with words they have never heard before. Such are purely the work of the Holy Spirit, without any effort from the recipient to either hear or learn it and they can happen to a believer/unbeliever in moments of urgency as decided by the Lord. Form my experience it is to avert serious disasters in a believers life or to prevent the lost from dying in their sin. A classic example is the conversion of Saul. The Lord appeared to Him and spoke to him. The words were specific: 

“…It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” Acts 9:5. 

This is the exact term written concerning the word of God in Ecc 12:11, where it says “The words of the wise are as goads…which are given from one Shepherd.” Saul being a Pharisee knew the Tanak (all of the Old Testament) inside out and this term hit right home. This would be how Saul knew who he was talking to. I personally call this the greatest head hunting in history. Jesus recruited the one man who would turn the world upside down and still continues to do so today. Truly nothing compares to the way the Holy Spirit teaches us. So, I encourage each and all to seek to be taught by the Holy Spirit primarily and we are the adjuncts that help Him build His Church.

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Rom 10:17

This verse is like a reversible chemical reaction. The two halves of the statement are co-dependent upon each other. To simplify: Faith comes by hearing the word of God and the ability to hear also comes by the word of God (when God permits us to hear; which means to recognize it and understand it). We forget how privileged we are to be able to understand the word of God. We forget that there was a time when we could not understand the Bible but since the day we accepted the Lord as our personal Saviour we could somehow understand what we read. It felt like a veil had been lifted. This lifting of the veil is what the latter half of the verse in Rom 10:17 indicates. The word of God no longer speaks just to our mind but it goes into our very being just as the seed is sown into the ground. The remembrance comes when the Lord calls out the word that He had sown into us. The understanding that the remembrance triggers is like the growth stages of a plant from seed to full grown. There are stages and in this way the Lord accomplished the teaching process:

“Whom will he teach knowledge?  And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.” Is 28-9-10

This verse reveals to us the process of how the Holy Spirit teaches. It is always one precept at a time, like building a foundation layer by layer. Now another point I would like to mention is also that the teaching is directly proportional to your growth and your ability to give it out. I will deal with this when we begin our discussion on the gifts and our ministry later on in the series. 

God is ready to teach each every one of His children. We need to have no pre-conceived notions and be as a child before Him ready to learn and not be hardened by our understanding. I know the varieties of doctrine and teachings within the church have brought a lot of confusion and rejection when one is faced with a teaching that seems contrary. Best thing to do is to sit with it before God and He will open your eyes to the truth. I have personally had this and this is what I have done. God will open our eyes. Praise God for His patience and love. 

In our next session we will continue to see the work of the Holy Spirit within the the individual believer. I know this study is exhaustive and believe me it is very important that we are clear on the points being dealt here. We will take our time in exploring and I hope you will continue to follow this study. Till next time God bless.